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Thursday, March 05, 2009

AND THEY WANT US TO PAY HIGHER POSTAGE....

Now I just wonder WHY the Postal Service is getting the ire of the public - from the purchase of a $1.2 million home?!?!?! This is not rocket science, given the economic situation of the country, and those corporate giants on bended knee begging for and getting government bailouts.

The USPS purchased this home from an employee so he could relocate. And now it appears that, knowing the downturn in the housing market, this house if re-sold, will be done so at a loss. Not a bad little hovel - 8,400 square feet with six bedrooms.

The USPS falls into the corporate strata, as it is technically considered a semi public corporation - with a government charter. This agency is also said NOT to be supported by taxpayer funds, but I find that to be a rhetorical statement.

If anyone has the answer here, I'd be glad to hear it - how can they validate upping postage, while offering executive perks such as this??? I know many who are employed through this agency, and they make a pretty penny in wages and benefits. Their employees are not hurting by any means. Considering the postal service is a necessary evil, they always manage to get everything that they desire.

I use very little postage, and hate the fact that I have to buy stamps at any time. I pay most of my bills online, which they (USPS) are constantly griping about. I have no complaints if the delivery days are cut to save them money - my delivery man (we are friends) says that will never happen, as they are a much needed service area. Right - trust me - we can adapt.

I can see if the USPS pays relocation costs, such as moving vans, housing searches, and minor inconveniences, but to purchase the homes - NOT. This is frivolous at best. Just another incident to get my "dander up."


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I am also upset that Bernie Madoff's "wicked" portrait did not get ONE single bid, at the art auction at the Armory Show in Manhattan.

This is one scary "portrait." I have to ask myself - "who in their right mind would even consider buying a portrait of this thief." If I had inconsequential bucks to throw away, I might bid fifty cents - to have an effigy to burn when he is convicted. Oh, did I mention the "minimum" bid of $100,000?



I finally got to speak (and see) theson via Skype last night...this always makes me a very happy camper. I had to call him back, as I was trying to back out of a running program - and it froze up - causing me a lot of grief. But at least I got a good visual - I haven't talked to him in over a month (maybe longer). He makes me laugh, and raises my spirits, when I am in a funk...what more could a mother ask???


Have a good one all - I'm tired and going to head to bed really soon...chat..Later.....

5 comments:

Mnmom said...

We could always cut up the portrait and use it for toilet paper!

Anonymous said...

What?!!?? What is the USPS buying houses for? Shouldn’t they be concentrating on their core competencies? This is FRAUD! Total outright fraud, but why?? Why are they doing this to us??? Is someone going to be imprisoned for it? Most Americans think the USPS is a wholly federal agency and their postage costs are the actual cost incurred. Boy will they be surprised that the USPS is going around buying houses behind their backs (it is a betrayal of the public trust) and then the USPS is going to Congress and asking for American taxpayers money. And, they keep talking about raising the cost of postage stamps. I’ve always defended their semi-anunual pay hikes, because I thought they were absolutely necessary otherwise they wouldn’t be asking for them. Now I feel cheated and lied to. Now. they’re talking about raising the prices yet again. Fool me once, shame on you…fool me twice, shame on me. I feel like I’ve been lied to. And, they conveniently list the dollar amount that they’ve lost on EACH individual house, because had they announced the sum amount, most people would be horrified. Nice try USPS, it’s 110 Million dollars when you add it all up. That’s $110 Million that we all thought was going to postal-related stuff! I think they are in the wrong line of business…buying homes…why don’t they do just postal-related stuff?

Evil Twin's Wife said...

Pretty soon, there will be NO PO, and NO newspapers, either. They are ruining the environment! Greedy pigs!

Nan said...

All federal agencies have relocation programs for employees, so the USPS isn't unique in that regard. They've all done it for years in order to get the employees they need where they want them: if the agency wants a permanent employee to relocate, and that employee owns a home that doesn't sell within X number of days (think it's 90) after being listed, the agency buys it from the employee. SOP is to have it appraised, and pay the employee whatever the independent appraiser says is fair market value -- which may or may not be enough to actually pay off the mortgage.

This also used to be SOP in the private sector, at least for major corporations, and in academe. The only thing that kind of stands out with this particular example is the price tag on the house.

As for USPS being a "necessary evil," you're wrong. It's a necessary good. You may be able to do a lot of your bill paying on-line, but there are still a lot of people in this country, particularly the elderly, who do not have that luxury. Stamps are a bargain compared to most other countries, and I find USPS parcel post more reliable than their competitors. USPS always manages to find us, and the mail carrier won't leave something sitting on our doorstep if no one is home the way the guys with the brown truck do.

Warped Mind of Ron said...

They are buying employees houses?? That employee seemed to be doing really well.I think perhaps someone higher up didn't want to take a loss on their house and found a work around to throw the loss on the American people. Arrest everytone involved and give them rabies!!!